


The Little Travellers

by marAA24



Series: Jonas Hunter lives AU [2]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 13:48:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17550854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marAA24/pseuds/marAA24
Summary: After many years, Jonas and Martina get to go on their grand adventure with the supervision of Gideon





	The Little Travellers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IncendiaGlacies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/gifts).



> My gift to @incendiaglacies for the RipChat Gift Exchange 2019

 

_**‘In one of the stars I shall be living** _

_**In one of them I shall be laughing** _

_**And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing** _

_**When you look at the sky at night** _

_**You—only you—will have stars that can laugh’** _

* * *

 

“Marti... Martini... Mari! Come on!” His fingers drummed on the handrail, his foot tapping the floor to the same beat, when she finally descended the stairs. Jonas threw his arms up.

“Finally!” He exclaimed the same time she said, “Don’t call me that.”

“Which one?” Jonas tried to count how many bags she had on her. There was a big backpack, a belt bag, what looked like a small messenger bag. He feared a suitcase would follow.

“All of them.” Martina pushed him towards the door, suddenly in a rush, as if he hadn’t been the one who waited two hours for her to finish packing.

“You know you don’t need any of this where we’re going.” He gestured to her many bags as she threw about three in the car boot.

“Yes, I do. This is the first—” she slammed it shut, “-trip I get to go on alone; I need my things. And everything Mom gave me, so she doesn’t freak.” She said this just as her mom walked out of the house with a freaked out look on her face, Mr Jackson’s laughter following her.

Martina winced, mouthing what he assumed was a curse, then turned to say goodbye. “Mom, I’ll be fine.” She hugged her. “We talked about it…” the rest was mumbled, and he thought better let them have their moment. Mr Jackson came around to him with his usual warm smile, Jonas went for a handshake but was pulled into a hug and slap on the back. He should be used to by how many times the Jacksons greeted him warmly, yet it surprised him every time. “Take care of each other—”

Mrs Jackson interrupted, “Be careful, stay out of trouble,  _don’t start any fights_ …” The last bit was specifically aimed at Martina, eyebrow-raising was involved. They both nodded, Martina obviously biting her tongue; Jonas spent an hour the previous day convincing Martina not to challenge her mom on anything, he was glad it paid off.

It took about ten minutes for Mr and Mrs Jackson to go over the instructions while he and Martina listened diligently—as practiced. It reminded Jonas of how Ms. Addams would sit all the children at the refuge down in the morning and list all the chores of the day. With time he learned to think of those days fondly, which helped him straighten his back and accept their advice. As a plus, it pissed Martina off because adults adored him for being ‘sensible’.

“Can we just,  _please_ , go now.” His friend finally said goodbye to her parents, and in the car they went.

The field was about three hours out of Central City, Jonas leaned back in his seat, Martina driving next to him. “If they were this worried, they could’ve just sent Ronnie with us,” Jonas said. She briefly glanced at him but didn’t say anything. “We planned this five years ago, you’d think they had time to accept it.” He was met with silence. “We’re old enough to do this on our own.” Martina hummed her agreement. “We don’t even need Ronnie, he can be all busy and grown—"

“Would you stop that!” He clicked the watch in his hand shut and shoved it in his pocket, he hadn’t even noticed he’d been playing with it. “Hey,” she chanced a look away from the road to meet his eyes, “I know you’re nervous, but it’s okay. It’ll be okay.” Jonas hummed in acknowledgement.

“And you’re right,” she said after a beat. “We don’t need Ronnie, or anyone else. We have Gideon, she’s all we need.” His thoughts ricocheted in his head, his nerves frayed. His hands found the watch again, its warmth calmed him just a fraction.

***

_There was screaming, lots of screaming. Mother said to ignore them, but she was the first to run towards them; she had to help them. She would explain it was her duty. Jonas would argue ‘You’re not a doctor or a nurse,’ and she would softly reply, “My duty as a human, Jonas.”_

Then a man showed up, surrounded by others, their weapons drawn. His mother hugged him and when the man came close, she stood bravely—she was his hero—and was immediately shot. Jonas swallowed down his cry and held his tears. If his mother taught him courage, his father taught him defiance, and they both showed him how to stand on his own feet.

“What’s your name, son?” Not your son.

He got up, his legs wobbling. His head held high and said, “Jonas.”

The man went down on his level, and if Jonas were older or understood the cruelty of the world and that man, he’d know that Vandal Savage would never get down on his knees or lower himself for anyone. “Your mother was brave, just as your father was foolish.” Jonas was starting to get really scared, but he wouldn’t show it to the man. “Which are you?”

Jonas wanted to be like his mother; he wanted to be brave. Jonas wanted to be like his father, strong and great. Jonas was scared and didn’t want to die, but he had to be brave, for his parents. He looked at the man who killed his mother and probably his father, and he learned hate and anger for the first time.

Jonas looked the man in the eye and spit in it.

“So, you take after your mother, ha?” the killer stood up, smiling, his hand patted Jonas’ cheek.

He couldn’t feel hope as the killer turned away, not with his mother’s body lifeless next to him, not with his father possibly gone. Not with the screams and dead people all around, or the smoke that no matter how heavy couldn’t hide the ugliness of war. 

But he was only eight and the concept of death was already too familiar and scary, and so for a second Jonas did have hope—he hoped and wished and prayed—long enough for the man to turn around, this time with a gun.

The man said, “Or not.” And a flash of light headed for Jonas, he felt the air move around him, ruffle his hair. He closed his eyes.

Nothing. The screams stopped, the gun shots, all sounds were gone, except a distant humming. Jonas slowly opened his eyes, no man, he thought. No one, he meant. He looked down the narrow alleyway, it wasn’t the war. His mother wasn’t on the ground dead, there were no guns.

“Mum?” he said, and only the echo answered. He took a small step forward. “Daddy?” Jonas didn’t know whether to stay put or go looking for them. Was there even a them to find? Was anyone looking for him?

Maybe it was like one of his bad dreams, and he would wake up and find himself in front of the gun again. He shivered. Or were the horrible screams, bombs and gunshots—and his mother’s still body sprawled on the ground—the nightmare, and he’d just woken up?

His voice shook as he whispered this time, “Mum, please.” His hand grazed the stone, its coarseness jarred him to the reality of this place. His throat closed, and tears were on the brim of spilling, but Jonas needed to remember his mum, he had to find her, find his father.

His lip quivered. “Be brave, like mum, like dad,” he chanted to himself.

His eyes red, his cheeks damp and he chanted in the alleyway until a shadow fell over him. He looked up quickly. “Mummy?” A woman taller than his mum stood at the end of the alleyway. She walked closer and she was nothing like his mother. His heart fluttered,  _not Mummy_. He could see the lady’s face, but she didn’t get too close.

She put her hands up, “Jonas?”

Jonas rubbed at his cheek.  _This time he’ll be braver._  “How do you know my name?”

“I know your father,” she said. Jonas didn’t think she looked evil, but scary enough for him to take a step back.

“That’s what the bad man said too.” Her face did a thing and it was less scary. Jonas didn’t move though; mother warned him of strangers.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. You don’t know  _me._ ” She moved her hand to her ear and Jonas flinched. Her hand stopped. “You don’t know or trust me, I know, but you know her, I’m going to give you an ear piece and you can talk to her.” He shook his head. “Jonas, I just want to help. Just talk to her, please.”

She put a small ear device in his hand, he considered it for a second, then put it in his ear. Hoping his mother wouldn’t be disappointed in him.

“Jonas…” His breath hitched.

“Gideon!”

***

Three hours and two bingo games—based on Martina’s driving abilities—later, they finally reached the field. The car jolted as it went over a rock, and Jonas marked his third win by announcing “Bingo!”

“No, this doesn’t count,” Martina complained, pointing at him. “The game finished two hours ago.”

“Which just goes to show your skills.”

She rolled her eyes as the car came to a stop. “Get your license first, then judge me.”

“I don’t need a car license; I can pilot a spaceship.” She scoffed and went to get her bags.

His breath caught as the Waverider dropped its camouflage shields. And there it was, his first home. The ship’s ramp opened with a hiss. “Woah!” Martina came beside him. “I don’t remember it was that big.” Jonas took one of her bags and they slowly walked towards the ship.

Director Sharpe was the first to come out, she had a kinder face than when he’d first met her in the alleyway nine years ago, behind her was what Jonas assumed was an agent of the Bureau. With them were some of the Legends, Jonas could never keep up with the members as they kept changing. There was Mr Heywood: Jonas knew him but didn’t like him, Zari: she was his favourite, someone he didn’t recognise, and Captain Lance, who under different circumstances, Jonas thought he might have liked her.

Martina threw her bags at him and ran to the Captain who excitedly hugged her. The new Legend and other agent branched away from the group, they nodded to Jonas as he passed them.

The moment he was within earshot, Mr Heywood yawned, “You didn’t have to drag us all the way out here, we could’ve met at the Bureau.”

As politely as possible, Jonas answered, “I am not stepping foot in the place that imprisoned and got my father killed.” It seemed to silence him, Zari slapped him on the shoulder, her lips biting down a laugh.  

“Good to see you Jonas,” she said.

“Hey, Zee.”

“Look at you, you can reach above my knees now.”

“You were never that tall.” She squeezed his cheek, then hugged him when he tried to bat her hand away. He remembered the first time he met her, she was the last one to greet him when he arrived at the Waverider, she gave him a donut and ruffled his hair, didn’t say anything for a whole hour as they sat in the kitchen until she softly asked, ‘Do you like video games?’

Later, Gideon told him she was the one who found a way to save him.

***

                _His hand was sweaty when Zari let go of it to ring the doorbell, he wanted to apologise she had to hold it in the first place. Jonas quickly wiped his hands on his coat as the door disappeared and, in its place, appeared his fourth favourite person in the world. “Nana!” And he threw himself on her._

She held him closely, her smell brought tears to his eyes. “Oh, my boy…” She sounded so sad Jonas gave her a peck on her cheek to make her feel better, he noticed; she too had tears. She took both of his hands—sweat and all—in hers and stood up. “Ms. Tomaz, please come in.” Zari’s face looked like when she first met him, she was flushed and wouldn’t say anything. He pulled his right hand from his Nana’s grip and held it to Zari, her smile felt like the warmest hug.   

Jonas had been to the Refuge twice before, they usually met Grandma Mary somewhere else because father said it was safer for the Timeline. It wasn’t exactly as he remembered, it still smelled of biscuits and warm fire, and it felt like his dad. His dad who wasn’t  _gone_ , but he wasn’t on the Waverider and he couldn’t see him. The tall lady from the alleyway said that was also safer for the timeline. Jonas really hated the timeline. The timeline took his home, and his toys, then it took his mum, and it wouldn’t let him see his dad or stay at his Grandma’s.

Hand in hand they all went to the tea room, the door closed behind them. Jonas let go of them and went to sit down; he wasn’t as happy anymore. Zari sat near him and poked him lightly, but Jonas could only imagine his mum sitting with him here and teasing him the same way. “You okay, Jonas?” He nodded, his eyes on the floor.

His Nana crouched before him. “Jonas, look at me!” Jonas didn’t. “Please, Jonny, look at me.” Jonas did. “Do you want to go play with the others while I talk to Ms. Tomaz here?”

“Daddy said talking to the others here isn’t safe.”

She laughed softly, Jonas didn’t think it was funny. “Of course he did,” She said to herself. “Well, why don’t you go on, but don’t tell anyone your name or anything about you.” She pinched his nose and winked at him. “And don’t tell them I’m your grandmother.”

“Then what do I call you?” His eyebrows formed one line.

She shrugged. “Auntie?”

“Okay.” He jumped off the sofa and waved to them as he left the room.

***

“Welcome home, Jonas,” said Gideon the moment entered the bridge.

His lips stretched into a smile at hearing her voice. “That is Captain Hunter, to you.” Martina snickered, hauling her bags behind her.

“You wish Little Hunter,” Gideon teased. “And welcome to you Martina. You’ve both grown so much.”

“Hey, Gideon. I missed this place so much,” Martina said. “I remember that last time I was here, I was ten.”

“Yeah, all the adults went out and Gideon had to babysit,” Jonas teased.

“Which isn’t much different from this situation,” said Gideon, very smugly.

“Hey!” They both whined at her.

Jonas ran to the Captain’s seat when they reached the bridge. His hands touched every screen and lever. It was much different than when he’d been here as a kid.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” said a voice from behind him. He turned to find Captain Lance and Director Sharpe by the console screens.

“You can do as many updates as you want, but as they say about bikes,” he answered the Captain. “Except I don’t know how to ride a bike.” She smiled at him, her hands familiarly touching the screens. It slightly annoyed him in a selfish way that someone was as comfortable with the Waverider.

“Gideon,” Director Sharpe started, “I trust you’ll keep them safe.” To which Gideon answered affirmatively. “And you will stay out of trouble. Definitely don’t do anything the Legends would do.”

Jonas laughed at the Captain’s faux shock. Jonas joked, “Only as a last resort.”

“Well, have fun.” the Legends' Captain knocked on the console. “Bring her back in one piece. And Martina,” she added as his friend walked in, “Jax must have taught you basic repairs, I’m hoping.”

Jonas stopped himself from telling them it wasn’t needed, he’d been learning about the Waverider ever since he learned how to walk. His father would let him watch as he made repairs, Gideon would teach him about the ship every time he was on it. The Director and Captain bid their adieu and they were left with Gideon.

Jonas rubbed his hands together, excitedly. “Gideon take us to the temporal zone, so we can decide where to go from there.” Martina took the chair closest to the Captain’s seat, where Jonas sat. “Well, Chief,” he winked to Martina. “Are you ready for adventure?”

In a commanding voice, she answered, “Yes, Captain Hunter.”

“While you two roleplay, should I start the engines?” Gideon interrupted rather patronisingly. He rolled his eyes and let her take the wheel, so to speak.

As the Waverider settled, Gideon appeared in her human-like holographic projection. “This is more comfortable,” she said admiring her body.

“Whoa!” Martina’s eyes bulged.

“You like?” Gideon modelled for Martina who had hearts popping out of her eyes. “This is specially for you two.” She winked. “Our little secret.”

“I’d hit on you if you literally hadn’t changed my diapers as a baby,” Martina said.

“Ew, that’s my Godmother.”

Gideon looked very self-satisfied, Martina was slightly flushed. “I said if she wasn’t.” He still shivered in response, earning a punch to the arm.

“So, you’ve been planning this for years, where is it you want to go?”

In unison, without any hesitation, they answered, “Year 5401, on the private station of Juanio Jenkell, The Jenkell 05.”

A hologram of the station popped up. Gideon gestured to it and asked, “What about it?”

“The man himself, Jenkell, is holding a week-long exhibition of his family’s prized collection,” Martina started.

“The most obscure technologies of the last three millennia,” Jonas took over. “Which is world’s away from even the technology I was raised with.”

“It’s a one-time event, open for  _anyone_ ,” continued Martina.

“I mean, of course, the Time Masters have the best tech of every millennium and even from other universes, but it will be…  _the_  most magnificent display of all time.”

Gideon gave them an impressed but kind of apprehensive look. “Well, you’ve done your homework.” Jonas and Martina put on their best innocent faces and nodded like good school kids. Jonas would have loved to trust Gideon with their actual motives, but he feared she might disapprove.

Gideon charted a course and after begging her for ten minutes, she gave him some control over the flight. The feeling of navigating the Waverider through the stream was one Jonas would cherish for the rest of his life. Gideon took over when it came to parking in the hangar. They announced themselves to the station to be let in, as the Razel siblings, Martin and Jane, each taking the other’s name.

“Head over to the fabricator room, and I’ll have a catalogue of era fashions to choose from.”

Martina frowned. “I thought the fabricator room broke down years ago.”

It was Gideon’s turn to put on her innocent face. “It… did.” Jonas held back a laugh.  _Oh, when Gideon doesn’t like someone._ She shooed them to go get dressed.

Martina went for a black full-body suit, it had red, feather shoulder pads, and a matching peacock skirt around her right leg. Topped with a rather impressive head piece with silver studs and patterns Jonas could never begin to trace or understand. Jonas went for a long, black overcoat with a subtle, shiny striped pattern, over leather shirt and trousers.

“I say we look rather snazzy,” Jonas said as they checked themselves in the mirror for five minutes straight.

“You wouldn’t want to miss the whole party admiring yourselves,” Gideon said.

“But we look so good,” he whined the o’s.

“Okay,” Martina snapped at last. “Enough of that, I’m ready!”

They, finally, went out into the party. It was the most extravagant party they’d ever attended. “And I thought the Queens threw big parties,” Martina whispered.

In their ears, Gideon instructed, “Have fun, and do not get into trouble. Should be easy.”

And it was, their night carried on without a hitch. They cooed at the rare specimens and were hypnotised by every piece of tech they saw. Jonas found a particularly hilarious display of an ordinary looking toilet. Gideon explained that in the year 3080 someone invented a pill that got rid of the human’s need to wee. It blew their minds. The first day was over, Martina and Jonas returned to the Waverider, tipsy and jovial. So much that Jonas didn’t entirely mind that he had no clues or headway in his little mission.

The second day went swimmingly as well, Martina and Jonas made a friend, Anien. Anien was from the Irra Moon, a small moon from the Angon system, this information was shared casually as Anien awkwardly wiped their spilt drink off Martina’s sleeve. Martina and Jonas did their best to pretend these were all names they were familiar with.

“So, where are you from?” asked Anien.  To which they answered ‘Earth’, gaining them a pitying look.

Beyond that, Anien was a blast, they marvelled at everything they saw, laughed at all of Jonas’ jokes, and joined Martina in mocking all the guests. Their favourite victim was an ambassador of the Nioni Moon, who wore a a pink feather boa—which was his least offense—and had an assortment of plants and flowers in what they assumed was going to be a flower crown but looked like someone dumped a garden on his head.

By the end of the night, they promised to meet again the next day.

It never happened. Jonas and Martina waited but their friend never showed. At first, they thought nothing of it, but as time passed Jonas got worried. He almost forgot the purpose of this trip.

It was frustrating how there was no evidence of her ever being there. Jonas memorised every face he saw each day, and hers never appeared. He thought there was more time, four more days, he’d find something.

And he did, not what he expected but it was something. In the extinct species corner, a small alien in a glass box that Jonas recognised, and was positive it wasn’t extinct. He had Gideon confirm it. Apparently, the Ratoons species wasn’t extinct, just vanished. There was no evidence of its death or decline, they all just were never seen in over a thousand years.

It was an alarming fact, but Jonas figured they made a mistake. Until the day ended and Anien also seemed to vanish. Martina asked after them, looked for their ship and was told that no one lived on the Irra Moon in more than a hundred years.

Those were the first signs of trouble.

“What if they just lied?” Gideon reasoned.

Martina, sitting on his father’s leather chair in the parlour, hugged her knees to her chest. “It’s possible but why?”

“Same reason you are?”

“What, she’s a time traveller too?” Jonas guessed, sarcastically.

Martina sat up. “What if she was?” Her gloominess replaced with alertness. “Gideon, look up the Irra Moon.”

Gideon took about a minute then just voiced one syllable that was more worrying than anything she could have said. “Oh.”

“Oh, what?” Jonas asked as Martina chewed on her nails.

“In the year 5287, the Irra and Skanii—two neighbouring moons—war ended with the Skanii retreating.” She paused which wasn’t a good sign. “A year later all surviving Irras disappeared, leaving a desolate moon behind.”

“I’m guessing no one knows how,” Jonas said.

“Correct.”

“Just like no one knows how the Ratoons also vanished.”

“Correct,” Gideon said. “The difference is, the Ratoons aren’t an intelligent species, so no one thought much of it, but the Irra’s disappearance was investigated bearing no fruit.”

The fourth day neither of them bothered to dress up or gave much attention to the party. “We have to do something.”

“Do what?” Martina argued. “And about what? We don’t know anything, Jonas. Three thousand years of history that we don’t know.”

“Find answers, find Anien, find anything.” He couldn’t keep still when he felt something bad had happened.

She grabbed his arm. “Remember why we’re here, Jay.”

Jonas put his hand on top of hers. “I also remember who I am, and I am not ignoring people in need of help.”

“What if she’s shows up today?” Jonas didn’t know how to form this panic into words to her. “What if Anien left and their okay, you don’t know they’re in trouble.”

“But I can feel it.” He gently removed her hand but held it. “You can look around here and their ship again, if you find them, I’ll back off. But there is something amiss going on here and I am not standing by.”

Martina sighed and squeezed his hand. “Fine, I’ll look for anything suspicious around here, you find anything, you call for help, okay?” He nodded firmly and kissed her cheek. “Be careful.”

“I will,” he said before running off.

Every sublevel entrance was locked and secured, Jonas tried to think of the best plan to sneak in there without alerting security. He looked around three times and lingered conspicuously at every guarded door. Until he felt a cool wind in a specific spot which lit a bulb in his head, there had to be a way they were circualting oxygen with air ventilation shafts. In a station this big Jonas knew he could fit inside one, so he went looking for an accessible one.

After a few minutes of search and many ‘looking for the bathroom’ excuses that only went downhill and sillier with each time someone nearly caught him, Jonas successfully found one to climb through. It was snug but he could crawl in it, which he was doing just that when Gideon spoke in his ear, “What are you doing Jonas? Your location is outside the floor map.”

“Uhm, I went outside for some air.”

“I doubt you’re going for some fresh air in an open space… in space.” He winced,  _not his best excuse._  “Jonas, what are you doing?”

“Something weird is going on.” He peered into an empty compartment. “I am just investigating.”

“Jonas! Wherever you are, get out. It’s not safe.” Her tone was getting more frantic.

“Don’t worry,” he said lowering himself into the compartment. His feet made a small thud as he landed but nothing in the room rattled. It was too dark for Jonas to tell where he was. “I am being caref—” he felt a throbbing pain at the back of his head, the floor went out from under him and the room got even darker. His name being yelled was the last thing he heard.

***

                _Jonas ran. He ran around the tables, up and down the stairs, in and out of rooms. No one stopped him, the other kids looked at him weird, but Jonas wanted to memorise this place as best he could. At last he reached a room that turned out to be much smaller than he expected, his feet skidded but not before he hit a shelf. A crashing sounded from behind him, even though he was sure nothing fell. He turned around and saw a boy crawl out of the air vents. Jonas yelped, hitting the shelf again._

The boy shushed him. “Be quiet.” He dropped on the floor and rolled, then just laid there. He huffed and gave Jonas a hard stare. “You spooked him.” Since Jonas also felt spooked himself, he didn’t reply. The boy’s eyes narrowed at him. “Who are you?”

This he could honestly answer, “I can’t tell you that.”

“Why not?” The boy sounded offended.

“Aunt Mary said I mustn’t.”

“Aunt?” He looked at Jonas funny. “Does that mean you’re not staying with us?” Jonas shook his head. The strange boy scrambled to his feet, ignored Jonas as he peeked back into the vents for a while, then closed it. “So, what’s your name?” He casually asked as if Jonas hadn’t seen him do some of the weirdest things in the world.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Fine, then I won’t either.”

“Okay.”

“Ugh.” He was leaving and gestured for Jonas to follow him. “Well, what can I call you then?”

Jonas thought about it. “You can call me Jon.”

“Well, you can call me…” He stared at nothing for a second. “Mike. It sounds stupid.” Jonas thought he was right. “But you can call me Mike, for now.” Mike stood taller next to Jonas, which in his experience meant Mike was older. He pulled Jonas behind him by the arm. “So… John, you’re not going to tell  _Aunt Mary_  about what you saw, right? Because we’re friends now. Right?”

“If you tell me what you were doing, I won’t tell.”

Mike considered him. “All right. I accidently brought something I found in the garden inside and it’s hiding in the air vents now.”

Jonas’ eyes widened. “What is it?”

“A baby.”

“A baby? How is a baby in the vents?”

“An animal baby of course,” he said. “You’re so weird.”

He should be scared; a strange boy, who was chasing an animal in the vents and crawled out of one, was pulling Jonas along and rambling about red eyes shining through the dark corners of the garden and Jonas should be scared. But Jonas felt thrilled, he felt safe and not alone.

“You’ll help me find him and Mother will never have to know.” They went into a big room with many beds. Mike put a finger to his mouth and pointed to the ceiling. They closely listened when a soft pattering passed above them. Mike had a crazy smile on his face and ran out of the room, Jonas closely behind him.

If the kids thought Jonas was weird, seeing him with Mike made him weirder. He wanted to ask why but his mum taught him better than that. Mike was weird and fun, and Jonas was having fun for the first time in a while.

They chased around the house, at times Mike would go back into the vents—Jonas never dared to follow—and others he would drag Jonas around to track the animal. Jonas had the alarming discovery that Mike had a knife on him; he used it to open the vents. And that answered why most of the kids stayed away from him, although he didn’t think they knew about the knife. Grandma Mary wouldn’t let him have it otherwise!

“Do you know John…” Mike handed him a biscuit during their break. “This is a mess, but the most fun I’ve had in ages.”

“Me too,” Jonas said. He didn’t want to leave this place, his nan, his friend. “Everything has been awful.”

“Why can’t you stay?”

Jonas wanted to cry. “Because of the timeline,” he whispered.

Mike huffed. “Time Masters and their stupid rules.”

“Do you not want to be one?”

“Of course, I can’t wait to be one.” He stood, head high, fists on his waist. “I’ll be the greatest Time Master ever.” Then he deflated and sat back down. “The rules are still stupid, though.” Jonas couldn’t help laughing at him. He didn’t seem to mind.

They continued their search, Jonas felt like they were hunters in a forest. Zari and his Grandma seemed to be taking their time and he was so happy for it.

“We need a plan, this isn’t working.” Mike led him into the kitchen. “We must lure him to us.”

“What does it eat?” Jonas grabbed a biscuit for example, Mike shook his head at it.

“Not that.” He opened the refrigerator then shut it. “It liked leaves.”

“Are we allowed into the garden?” Jonas asked.

Mike giggled. “Are we allowed to do any of this?”

Into the garden Mike ventured. The sun was still out which made the search easy but sneaking much harder. Mike was very confident in his sneaking skills. That seemed his personality in general, he believed he could do everything he wanted. Jonas was starting to believe it as well when Mike walked in with a cabbage in his arm.

“Let’s hope this works.” Mike laid out bits of the cabbage at the floor beneath the air vent in his room. The moment he’d walked in with it in hand, all his roommates left. Mike thought it hilarious.

“Why are they scared of you?” Jonas asked as they waited. His manners seemed to have failed him. “The other kids.”

His friend looked at the floor for a moment then up at him. “I wasn’t the nicest when I arrived, to anyone. I was mean and awful.” He pulled at the carpet. “Some of them just haven’t forgiven me yet.”

“I don’t think you’re mean or awful.” Mike lit up. He was about to say something when they heard it.  _Pitter-patter._  Mike readied the box and Jonas the cover, their eyes met, Jonas bit back a laugh.

Mike whispered, “Ready?” Jonas bobbed his head and held up the cover tighter.

Jonas didn’t see what exactly happened, there was a thud, a squeal, Mike shouting “NOW!”, he was jumping on the box with the cover. It shook, and something rattled in it. Mike held it strongly. “Grab the rope.” Jonas did, and they tied the box shut.

Carefully, they let go of the box, it stayed closed. With a sigh, they fell to the ground, and just sat there. The laughter bubbled inside Jonas, it bubbled and bubbled, and it burst. Mike started laughing as well.

“We did it.”

There was only one thing left for them to do, and it involved the garden again. Jonas didn’t want to upset his nan, but he wanted to do this with Mike. He let Mike convince him, and they went out into the garden. It was beautiful, Jonas hadn’t seen colours and sunshine like it in ages.

“We’ll release it in the bushes over there.” Mike took the lead and Jonas followed.

Jonas pulled the rope loose and the animal pushed the cover and leaped out. Jonas flinched at its sight. “That’s not an animal.”

“Of course it is, what else can it be?”

“It doesn’t look like one.” Jonas pointed at the eight-eyed, sluggish creature. It was the size of a rat, but it had two tails and sharp claws.

“Well, it isn’t human, is it?” Mike threw it the cabbage, it caught it between its giant claws.

“We should leave,” he said the same time his name was called.

They tried to slyly come back into the house, but the second they walked in, Grandma Mary was standing in front of them. She almost looked cross with him until her eyes landed on Mike and it turned to shock.

“Mother, it was my idea, don’t be upset with him, please.”

Her face was sad, surprised, and happy. She couldn’t choose, Jonas thought. “I’m not, I’m not. Come along you two.”

And like that all happiness drained out of Jonas. “Is it time to go?”

“Yes. Your friend is waiting for you, we shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

“But Mike is my friend.” She stopped again and that look crossed her face again. “I don’t want to go, I want to stay here.”

“Yes, Mother, can he stay with us? I promise not to misbehave again.”

She shook her head, sadly. “No, he really can’t. Jonas, you know you can’t.”

“No, Na—” Jonas corrected. “Auntie, please.”

She came down to him, and softly said, “I would love to have you here, Jonny, you know I would.” His lip quivered in answer. “But Gideon and your father explained that you can’t.”

“I don’t care about time,” he wanted to shout. “Time doesn’t care about me, so why should I?” His grandmother took him into her arms, she stroked his head, muttering sorry over and over agian. He didn’t want to cry again, but he did anyway.

He pulled away after his tears soaked her shoulder. She caressed his cheeks. “Say goodbye to your friend, then meet me outside.” She pointed at Mike. “And you go wash up immediately after.” Mike nodded. She kissed both their foreheads before leaving. Jonas suspected she was braver than him, because she didn’t cry even when it looked like she really wanted to.

The boys stood there in silence, neither ready to say goodbye. Mike was the first to break it, “Let’s not say goodbye.” He came closer. “Why don’t I tell you a secret, so you’ll never forget me, and you do the same?”

Jonas knew better than to say something that might be too bad on time, no matter how much he hated the Timeline, he knew his father—the greatest Time Master—would be upset if Jonas broke time or revealed too much. So, he told Mike something harmless and Mike in turn whispered his.

***

               ‘Come on little man.’

               His head hurt.

               ‘You’re okay.’

               Where was he?

               “Get up, kid.” His vision slowly cleared, focusing on wide hazel eyes. They blinked, then Jonas blinked. “There you are!” A warm hand touched his forehead, pushing his hair off it. “You’re okay.”

Jonas blinked the grogginess as the woman got off him and he saw beyond where her face was at a metallic ceiling. As he stared at it, he remembered climbing into a shaft. Jonas sat up as the rest of his memories of the night came back. The world tilted and blurred, his head throbbed.

“Where am I?” he laid down again.

“Level 3, cell 348, on the rotating Jenkell 05 station,” she answered pragmatically.

He sat up again, this time slower, and propped his back on the cool metal. Jonas checked for his ear piece, but it was gone.

He looked at his cell mate as she sat down opposite him on her cot. He felt the whole world drop from beneath him, his heart leapt, breath hitched. He might as well have been suspended in space.

She frowned. “What? Are you okay?”

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

It was her. He’d actually found her. In a prison cell of all places.

Her dark hair was braided back, away from her eyes, warm, beautiful, hazel eyes. That seemed very much confused, and alight with wonder.

_Miranda Coburn. His Mother._

Every night for a week when he was six, she’d describe this exhibition. She’d tell him of every wonder she’d seen, how breath-taking and exotic it was. Every night for a week, she failed to mention she’d seen it from a prison cell, seven floors down from the party.

He averted his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She didn’t sound so sure about that. They sat awkwardly for what felt like ages. Jonas was in no hurry, so he sneaked glances at her and swallowed back tears. “So…” She worried a loose thread in her hands. “How did you get yourself in here?”

“I snuck into a restricted area,” he said. “Looking for something suspicious.”

She gestured around her. “You found it.”

“These aren’t just holding places for naughty guests, I’m guessing.”

She smiled, and his heart lifted. “You’re a smart one.”

“I wouldn’t have been caught if I were.”

“No, but you noticed there was something worth looking for.”

“What did you do?”

She held up her hand, and counted off, “I broke into Jenkell’s office, shot his guards, stole some files, threatened to expose his underground cage-fighting scheme.” She paused thoughtfully, her hand falling limp. “Did you know he buys and kidnaps whole races? Modifies them to fight in his tournaments." She shook her head in digust. "The matches are to the death, and winners are kept as prizes. They have to choose between death and captivity.” Her hands clutched the metal post of her cot. “His circle of abhorrent rich and haughty friends gets together to watch and bet on games.”

“That’s what happened to the Irra Moon,” Jonas muttered.

“It’s what happened to many other species.” She rested her head on the wall. “It’s what I have to put an end to.”

“I want to help,” Jonas immediately said.

“It’s too dangerous, kid.” He tried to argue. “I can get you out of here, and you’ll have to promise to run.”

“No.” He wasn’t one to run from someone in trouble and he especially wasn’t leaving his mum do it by herself.

She considered him. “What’s your name?”

Jonas hated lying to her, but he had to. “Martin.”

Her eyes narrowed and softly muttered, “You remind me of someone.” She shook her head and offered her hand. “Well, partner, I’m Miranda.” The thrill of working with her, his hero, rendered him breathless.

Miranda had a plan to break out of the cell, one that she refused to disclose. If what his dad learned from her was all true, then Jonas was sure it was nothing short of bonkers.

Jonas almost forgot his confinement listening to her and watching her work, until the sight of Martina slapped him back into reality.

“No, no, no!” He went to the glass wall of the cell. “What are you doing here?”

His best friend touched the glass lightly, her eyes dark and determined. “I had to see you, see you’re okay.”

“H-how did you get here?” His hand was shaking as he tried to meet her hand through the glass. “Why?”

“I made a deal to get you out, don’t worry it’s all going to be okay.” She did her best to sound reassuring, but every word plunged Jonas deeper into despair.

“What did you do?” his voice came barely above a whisper.

“I win one game and he’ll let us go.”

“No-no-no,” his blood ran cold. “He’ll never let either of us go.”

“I had to do something,” she defended.

“Why!”

“I’m not leaving you here.” He wanted to hug her, he wanted her safe. This was his fault. “You’re my best friend, Jay, I’m not sitting on my hands while God knows what happens to you.”

“Please… don’t.” She waved away his pleas as she got carted off. His shouts trailed behind them till his throat dried.

He felt two arms tenderly encircle him, a soft voice trying to comfort him, “We’ll help her, I promise. It’ll be okay… it’s okay…”

It wasn’t okay. It was his fault.

Martina could die, and it was his fault.

He turned to the woman who’d one day be his mother. “You had a plan, you said you knew how to get out, please, we need to act soon.”

“Yes, yes. We will.”

***

               It went without saying that Martina was terrified. It started the moment Gideon told her she was cut off from Jonas and that he was in trouble. After she got the panicking and tears out of the way, she had an idea that made her even more terrified.

She asked to talk to whoever was in charge, they took her to meet the head of security. She tried to explain that Jonas meant no harm, he was a compulsive idiot, he wasn’t dangerous… etc. She tried every excuse in the books. It all fell on deaf ears, until Juanio Jenkell—the owner himself—upon being notified of the breach had shown up, and had let her plead her case.

They made a deal. She didn’t trust it and neither did Gideon who was doing her best to hack the station. That was how she ended up in a wide, drab room with twenty other people—for lack of better words—as they all prepared to fight for their lives.

“I don’t like this idea. In fact, I want it on record that I hate this idea,” Gideon said.

“It’s the only one we’ve got,” Martina argued.

“No, I suggested you let me blast the station with the power of all my weapons.”

“You seem to think that’s a better one.” Martina kept to a corner by herself.

“The chances of your death are much lower in my plan, and my calculations are always correct.” Martina had nothing to say to that. Gideon continued, softly, “If anything happens to either of you, your parents would never forgive me. I would never forgive myself.”

“I know.”

“How do I fix this?” Gideon actually sounded scared.

“Nothing. This is on me now.”

Martina was the daughter of a Legend, she learned self-defence at the age of ten, trained by the Sara Lance. She and Jonas had taken various classes in fighting and shooting; she wasn’t helpless. But that’s how she felt in that stuffy, sweaty room surrounded by fighters who had every intention to fight for their lives. And she couldn’t blame them.

By the first hour, three got out and never came back in again. Slowly but surely the room was emptying out. Martina dreaded her turn. Her stomach coiled and tightened, she felt sick with nerves. She didn’t dare hope through the first hours, but as time dragged and the numbers thinned, she dared. Hoped for Gideon, for Jonas, her father, the Legends, the Bureau, for anyone who could help her. A way not to go through with it. But it never came, her match did. The name ‘Jane’ was called, she almost didn’t realise that meant her.

She was led down a hall, mostly dark but for strobe lights. The hall took them into a large arena, it had no auditorium, but for a wide window about twenty feet above the ground. Her opponent stood in the middle of the room, they were taller than her by a good two feet, they also had two extra arms. Their appearance did nothing to calm Martina, nor encourage her odds of survival.

The man escorting her appeared to have tired of her stalling and pushed her closer to the other fighter, she stumbled but picked herself up and walked to her mark. She must have crossed a perimeter line because an electrical net sprung up around them in the shape of a dome—a theory she wasn’t about to test told her she shouldn’t touch them—and it served as the only indicator of the fight starting.

Her opponent wasted no time to attack, Martina spent the better part of twenty minutes dodging and running away. She’d managed to land a few hits, but Martina knew with certainty that she couldn’t take them on. She couldn’t tell how long it’s been, how much time passed, her legs were wobbly, her body sore.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore a tremor shook the whole room, it threw both of them off balance, and before they could fully regain it, another, stronger tremor passed, leaving in its wake a dark room. The cage was gone, the lights were gone, even behind the viewing window. Both fighters stood up but didn’t make a move to battle.

There was a stretch of silence before chaos descended on the arena, gun shots rang, and the window’s glass shattered over their heads. Before they had the chance to recover from that, a group of soldiers stormed the room, closely followed by a group of peculiar creatures; some looked like humans, others not at all.

Then behind them, Jonas ran in, gun in hand and a wild look to him. She had never felt such happiness and relief upon seeing his face. They ran towards each other. “I am so glad to see you!”

He squeezed her closer. “You’re alive—oh my god—you’re alive.”

“So are you!”

He looked at her and whispered, furtively, “My mum helped.” His eyes sparkled when he said it. He must have read the question in her face. “I found her, in a holding cell, actually. And she blew up half the place and released all prisoners.”

“Okay, wow,” Martina said. “She doesn’t mess around.”

“She’s absolutely nuts.” He clutched her arm. “We need to go, we need to evacuate the station.”

He started pulling her back into the hall. “What? Why?”

“Uhm… Because Jenkell is threatening to gas the whole place and my mum is threatening to blow it up.”

Martina was shocked to silence. Not how she expected this trip to go.

Jonas let go of her arm when they were far enough from the arena, the gun shots ricocheting in the distance. “I was worried sick I’d find you dead.”

“So was I,” Gideon said making Martina jump.

“I forgot you were here, Gideon.” At the mention of her name Jonas beamed and gestured to talk to her. Martina gave him the ear device.

He didn’t slow down while they talked, she didn’t know what Gideon was saying but going by Jonas’ guilty expression and resigned humming, she figured he was being lectured. “She doesn’t know who I am, promise… no, I know… I’m sorry, I know… I had to Gideon… I will… Yes, that too... We have a plan.”

 “So, what’s your plan?” Martina asked.

“Miranda says we can’t alarm people with threats of gassing or explosions,” Jonas explained. “So, next best thing, we’re going to cause a ruckus that isn’t life threatening.”

“How are we doing that?”

“Well, it involves the million Ratoons I found in cages and our good friend the Garden-head Ambassador.” Martina chuckled when she remembered him. Which reminded her of someone else.

“Did you find Anien?”

Jonas nodded. “Yeah, yeah. They and Miranda were working together, helped us escape. Which means they were a time traveller, as well. Before the Irras disappeared, my mum helped them avoid being kidnapped—or more like sold to slavery.”

“Sold by who?”

“The Skaniis. They retreated to allude to a loss, but they’d apparently made a deal with Jenkell.”

Martina felt sick. “That’s horrible.”

“I know,” he said then went into an elevator. Martina followed quietly, she couldn’t shake away the idea of a whole race being forced to participate in this perverse competition. Or that she voluntarily gave herself to the same people, she wasn’t stupid; she didn’t trust the deal one bit, but she had to try.

“You released all prisoners in here, right?”

“Yeah. You’re okay, right?” Jonas gave her a curious look. “They didn’t hurt you?”

“Not physically, no, if we’re not counting the fights.” Jonas didn’t seem comforted by that, but his focus kept diverting to finding the way. “How do you know where you’re going?”

“I passed here before,” he said. “But Gideon, mostly.” He laughed at something. “Yes, we’d be lost without you.”

“Are you gonna explain your plan anytime, Jonas?”

“I’m going to release all Ratoons on the top deck, in hopes it will scare everyone off the station.” He paused dramatically, like a performer waiting for applause.

“Do I have to prompt you into telling me everything?”

He rolled his eyes but deigned to explain, “I am going to lure all the Ratoons to the upper deck with this.” He reached into a bag and produced a hat. A hat made of leaves and flowers. A hat she had seen worn by the ambassador.

“How did you get that?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “I distracted him while Miranda nicked it.”

She had to laugh. “Normal mother-son bonding experience.”

He stopped in front of a heavily-reinforced metal door, then ran his hands over it. “This is it.” He shoved at it. “It’s certainly locked.”

There was a panel at the side, Martina didn’t necessarily recognise the tech, but she’s seen the idea behind it. “I think I got this, my father once brought me something similar for my birthday.”

“Of course he did.”

She needed to peel off the cover, first. “Do you have a knife?”

“No,” he said at the same time a crash sounded from around the corner. A woman stumbled into view, kicking at something Martina couldn’t see.

The woman seemed to be satisfied with the outcome, she dusted herself. “I do.” She pulled a small knife from her boots. She looked like she’d been to hell and back with a tattered bohemian skirt that was cut—by hand it looked—to around her knees, unruly dark hair, a black smear on her face, and the wildest smile. “You must be the friend.” She handed the knife to Martina. “Good to see you made it.”

The woman shared a fist bump with Jonas, who looked ecstatic. Martina concluded this was the famous Miranda Coburn. Her dad said Miranda was dead before they were even recruited—and mostly the reason they were—so none of the Legends ever met her. Martina felt a sense of pride for being the first to have.

Martina got to work on the panel, her friend and his not-yet mum muttered to each other. Martina made it to the circuit, it wasn’t like anything she’d seen before, but as her father said: If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.

It was tricky and took more time than she anticipated, but with Gideon’s help, Martina opened the door. A chorus of cheers and pats on Martina’s shoulders before Miranda had to run off do God knew what. In her words, ‘knock a few doors down of my own’.

When she was gone, Martina remarked, “She is something all right. I can see where half your madness comes from.”

Jonas smiled thoughtfully. “She wasn’t entirely like this when I knew her.” His smile turned sad. “She always seemed happy, but I feel like she sacrificed a part of her to be my mum.”

“She didn’t,” Martina said. “I’m sure she didn’t. Just like my dad didn’t sacrifice being a Legend to have me. Believe me, I spent years blaming myself for it, uselessly.”

Jonas hugged her, suddenly. “Thank you for being here.”

“Of course.” They stayed like that for a few seconds longer.

Martina might have almost died multiple times this trip, but she’d also never felt more alive. All her life she’d heard of her father’s adventures, she’d seen the Legends and they were like family, but she was always envious of them. Her father didn’t smother her to protect her, he taught her his skills, he forgave her misadventures with Jonas. This was different though. This, she dreamed of ever since she stepped foot on the Waverider as a ten-year-old.

“Okay.” Jonas clapped his hands once. “I will crawl into the vents and lead them with the plants. You will free them when I say I’m ready. But you need to close that door, I need as many numbers to follow me. Their mostly harmless—at least I think so.”

“Reassuring,” Martina said dryly.

“You got this,” he replied. “Meet me upstairs when you think enough followed me. Oh, and can I have Gideon?”

Martina waited for his signal after he clumsily crawled into the vents. When she heard his shouts, she opened the cages for the slimy, gross creatures. None of them paid her any heed and scrambled behind their meals. Martina snuck out making sure none of them followed her, Miranda’s knife in hand, she made her way to the elevators.

She made it to the tenth floor where the exhibition was when the elevator doors opened to reveal three guards who immediately cocked their guns her way. She threw her hands up when all three of them fell forward. Miranda stood where the guards were, she blew on the gun she held, despite the fact no smoke was coming out.

“Tranquilisers,” she said in lieu of explanation. Martina nodded. “Your friend will get out of there.” She pointed to a vent access door close by.

“Thank you,” Martina said.

Miranda smiled. “Well, I have a boss fight to attend,” she announced and walked away.

With nothing to do, Martina stood near the vent and waited for Jonas.

The noise arrived before he did, bumping, screeching and then the cover flew to the ground with a crash, Martina ran to help hoist Jonas up who was kind of squealing. They got out of the way as a herd of the ugly, huge-looking rats pushed out and into the gallery.

“It worked, it worked,” Jonas shrieked. "They're bigger than I remmeber." He collapsed on the floor and laid there. He muttered to himself, “Thank you, Michael.”

She didn’t ask what he meant and let him rest as the first screams of the guests rang and the station went into disarray.

***

               Jonas and Martina helped usher the people to their ships, the Ratoons completely took over the gallery, which Jonas thought perked up the place a bit. They’d been at it for a few minutes when Miranda scuttled in their direction, and, without a word, dragged them by the arm, Anien on their heels.

She rounded into a corridor and stopped. “You need to go, quickly,” she said breathlessly.

“Why?” he asked as Anien and Martina reunited.

“TIIF is here and they don’t take kindly to time travellers.”

“TIFF?” Jonas and Martina repeated in unison.

“The Intergalactic Interference Force,” she explained. “They’re arresting Jenkell.”

Everyone smiled in relief at that. Martina rested her hand on Anien and asked, “Does that mean you get to see your family?”

Anien looked the happiest Jonas had ever seen them. “I get to see my whole planet back, I can go home.”

“And now you must. Go home.” Jonas didn’t have a chance to argue with his mother. “You did everything you could. Thank you,” she grabbed his and Martina’s hand in hers. “Thank you both, the universe owes you a debt.”

Jonas’ heart sank, he wasn’t ready to say goodbye. He wanted more time with her. Martina was saying something, but his ears were ringing. Two warm hands gently cupped his face. His eyes met his mother’s eyes, she for the first time, he for the last. “Take care of yourself,  _Martin._ ” Her eyes told him she didn’t believe it was his name. “You’re one of the bravest people I ever met, and I am honoured to have met you.” He swallowed, but words wouldn’t come out. “My hero,” she whispered and kissed his forehead lightly.

She pulled away and Jonas still couldn’t move or say anything.

“What about you two?” He heard Martina ask. “You’re time travellers too.”

“Just a few things to take care of,” Miranda said. His mum said. The same mum he’d never see again.

Martina held his hand. “Come on, Jonas.” She tugged him.

He looked at Anien and smiled, “Anien, very nice to meet you.” They nodded. He turned to his mother, so alive and beautiful. “Thank you, Miranda, for everything.” She stared at him with a soft smile and keen eyes.

Martina had to basically drag him out of there into the Waverider.

“Welcome back, it’s very good to see you alive,” Gideon greeted. Jonas didn’t have it in him to reply. “I’m sorry, Little Captain.”

“Thank you, Gideon.” He sat in his father’s seat in the parlour.

“Are we not moving?”

“Can we wait until I’m sure she’s okay?”

“Of course.”

The Waverider hovered near by, camouflaged, until the last ship departed the station. They were about to make the jump when the sky lit up, the station crumbled right in front of his eyes.

***

               Landing was much calmer than take off, the Waverider solemnly settled down in the same field. The harness hissed as the engines shut off, Jonas lifted it over his head, Martina mirroring his actions in the back. Neither of them moved from their seats. In chorus, they sighed and turned to each other.

“It’s over,” she said.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, cheer up you two,” Gideon chided. Her projection head appeared. “It was an excellent adventure; I, certainly, had fun making a dashing getaway with an explosion.”

“You’d be such an adrenaline junkie, Gideon,” he noted. “Is that why you keep the Legends around?”

The question seemed to warrant her full holographic projection, which Jonas very much preferred. “In the beginning, yes. The Legends were new and fun, but their hijinks have gone a bit stale.” She shrugged. “But it beats being a training simulation for the Bureau.”

“Or I could always steal you away, again.” His father walked into the bridge.

He wasn’t wearing his usual duster; Gideon looked disappointed before she glared at him. “Or you could turn me into a simulation again.”

His father winced. “I apologised for that five times already. And I didn’t turn you into a simulation, I gave you the whole Bureau to work with.” Gideon glowered silently. Martina and Jonas knew better than to interfere. The Great Captain Hunter balked under her stare and threw his hands up. “No, you’re right. For the sixth time, I am sorry.” Gideon broke into a smug smile.

Jonas shook his head at her antics as his father regarded him and Martina. “Well, how was your journey?”

Martina and Jonas stumbled over each other recounting the craziest of events, Gideon throwing quips at them. Rip tried his best to keep up with all of them, his face a picture of delight.

At a quiet moment when Martina had gone to pack and Gideon wasn’t around in any corporeal capacity, Jonas tried to muster all the courage he possessed to admit one part of the story to his father, who was in the parlour sifting through his old things. Jonas took a deep breath and went to his father. “Can I tell you something and you promise not to be mad and lecture me for an hour?”

Rip put down the notebook in his hand, eyes narrowing. “Did you steal from any royals again?”

“No!” His demeanour went from nervous to offended. “And I did not steal, it was a gift.”

“Did the prince know that?”

“Maybe it was light blackmail—but that’s not the point.” He stopped himself from pacing. His father looked mildly amused. Jonas hated most royal families, alien ones even more than earth royals. “He was being awful to the little boy and someone needed to stand up to him. But that—" Jonas shook his head heartily to clear his head. “That’s not it. I didn’t steal anything, and I am offended you’d suggest it—Iwenttoseemum,” he blurted at last.

Rip looked at him with confusion. “You what?”

“I saw… mum.” All previous amusement vanished, and Rip looked like he bit a lemon. “I didn’t tell her anything, not even my name, I promise, she didn’t even suspect a—” the rest of his defence was muffled by Rip’s shoulder. Jonas wrapped his arms around his father, and for once he didn’t need to cry.

“I am truly sorry, Jonas,” muttered Rip.

Jonas pulled away to look at his face. “What for?”

“Everything. For what happened to you, to your mum. For not being there, for leaving you at the refuge for those two years. Hell—I am sorry for dying, f-for…” his thoughts derailed into a tired exhale.

Jonas clasped his hand, his father’s watch cold between their hands. “You have nothing to apologise for.” Jonas opened the watch, the picture of him with his mother peering up at them. “She was so beautiful.” She looked older in the picture than when he saw her last, but she was the most beautiful person he ever knew.

His fathered murmured, “She was.”

“I am proud to be your son, the bravest Time Master and the greatest Time Master.” He met his father’s teary eyes. “And yours Gideon, of course.”

“Of course, Little Captain,” was her immediate reply.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, feedback is appreciated.  
> And thank you, ig, for editing this into something readable.


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